Exhibit 1 Exhibit 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Exhibit 1 Exhibit 1 The World – Coos Bay http://theworldlink.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/jordan-cove-parent-company-looks-at- financing-ownership-options-expansion/article_5fe9f9ec-b521-11e3-9421-001a4bcf887a.html MONEY STARTS FLOWING Jordan Cove parent company looks at financing, ownership options, expansion March 28, 2014 1:00 pm • By Chelsea Davis, The World COOS BAY — Now that the Jordan Cove Energy Project has federal approval to export liquefied natural gas to non-Free Trade Agreement countries, parent company Veresen Inc. is making moves financially. Don Althoff, Veresen’s president and CEO, spoke with confidence during a conference call following the U.S. Department of Energy’s Monday announcement. ―I don’t think this is going to be a problem to finance,‖ he said of the $7.7 billion project (approximately $1.1 billion of which is project financing, owner’s cost and interest incurred during the four-year construction period). Before Veresen can make a ―final investment decision‖ in early 2015, it needs an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract, all off-take contracts ―signed with credit-worthy counterparties,‖ and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval. Veresen looks for potential owners, partners Althoff wants Jordan Cove to be ―completely sold out‖ by October or November. That means Veresen is analyzing "optimal ownership" and possibly bringing in partners. ―What we’re going to decide over the next nine months is how much we want to own of the plant, and then how much more equity do I need to raise?‖ Althoff told The World this week. Today, Veresen owns 100 percent of Jordan Cove, including the proposed marine facility, liquefaction plants, storage tanks, gas treating facilities and South Dunes Power Plant. The LNG facility will run capital costs of $5.3 billion, Veresen estimates. The Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, which would feed natural gas to Jordan Cove through a 232-mile, 36-inch pipeline from Malin, will incur capital costs of $1.5 billion. Veresen owns half of the pipeline; the other half is owned by Williams Companies, a U.S. natural gas processing and transportation company. ―I think owning 100 percent of it ... there probably aren’t very many options where that makes the most sense for us,‖ Althoff said. Jordan Cove’s potential customers have expressed interest in taking equity positions in the facility. ―Buyers of the natural gas like to invest in these, as well,‖ he said. ―If we do bring partners on, they would pay us for our percentage of the plant we’ll sell them, then we’ll use that equity to fund the rest of our equity, then go to the market and raise it if we still need more.‖ 1 Time to pay the bills Right now, Veresen just needs to pay its bills until Jordan Cove gets the go-ahead or the ax. That's why Veresen announced Tuesday it had entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters who agreed to purchase 15 million shares of Veresen at $16.50 CAD ($14.85 USD) a piece to raise $247.5 million CAD (more than $220 million USD). The underwriters also get an overallotment option to purchase up to an additional 2.25 million shares. That would bring the total closer to $284.6 million CAD ($250 million USD.) The offering will close around April 3. Veresen’s common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol VSN. ―We still have a lot of money to spend to get (Jordan Cove) sanctioned,‖ Althoff said. ―Part of what (the $284.6 million is) used for is to pay bills between now and this time next year when we come in and finance the project.‖ Once those bills are paid, Veresen can raise more equity to pay for the bulk of the project. ―While financing won’t be without its challenges, we will have the benefit of falling on the path paved for us by other recent LNG export developments in the U.S. Gulf Coast,‖ he said. Non-FTA approval a big win for Veresen In Veresen’s 2013 fourth quarter and year-end results report issued earlier this month, officials confirmed they were really gunning for DOE’s non-FTA export approval. Most of Jordan Cove’s potential customers do not have FTAs with the U.S., Althoff said. Singapore and Korea are the only two east Asian countries with FTAs, and their markets are small relative to the overall market, he said. Last fall, Veresen announced it had snagged three non-binding long-term Heads of Agreement with companies in Indonesia, India and an ―eastern Asian country.‖ Japan is the world’s largest LNG consumer, according to Thomson Reuters, but China is right on its heels — ―...it looks like China will be a top LNG importer by 2018-20.‖ Since October, Althoff said Veresen has entered into other HOAs with ―large-scale prospective customers, including various emerging and traditional LNG buyers throughout the Asia-Pacific region.‖ Veresen plans to wrap up binding Liquefaction Tolling Service Agreements and Pipeline Service Agreements by this fall. ―This is a world-scale plant,‖ he said. ―To try to think about selling to just FTA countries limited us too much.‖ 2 Already looking at expansion Jordan Cove’s proposed initial LNG capacity — 6 million metric tons per year — also has its limits, Althoff said. The total amount of LNG capacity requested under Veresen’s various HOAs exceeds that 6 million. If and when Jordan Cove begins construction, Althoff said Veresen will immediately look into expanding the facility’s capacity to 9 million metric tons per year. ―The marina, tankage, gas treating and power plant can all manage 9 tonnes per annum (metric tons per year),‖ he said. ―What’s needed to expand the plant is more pressure on the pipeline and more trains. It does have the ability to expand. ―I think as soon as I can get this thing through FID (final investment decision) we will start to look at expansion projects down there.‖ FERC timeline possibly pushed back That’s only if FERC green lights Jordan Cove. Veresen and Jordan Cove both forecasted a FERC ruling by the end of the year, with construction starting in the first quarter of 2015. But that could be delayed. During a routine conference call between federal agencies last week, officials said Jordan Cove is changing its proposed wetland mitigation sites, meaning all of the land use tables in FERC’s draft Environmental Impact Statement will be affected. In turn, that’s going to delay FERC’s schedule while they analyze the new edits. 3 Exhibit 2 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENTOF ENERGY Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P. ) FE Docket No. 12–32–LNG ) Application for Certificate ) Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P.; ) Application for Long-Term ) Authorization to Export Liquefied ) Natural Gas Produced From Domestic ) and Canadian Natural Gas Resources ) to Non-Free Trade Agreement ) Countries for a 25-Year Period ) ____________________________________) CITIZENS AGAINST LNG, Inc; CITIZENS AGAINST LNG NOTICE OF INTERVENTION, PROTEST AND COMMENTS On June 6, 2012, the Office of Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy posted in the Federal Register a Notice of receipt of an application (Application), filed on March 23, 2012, by Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P. (Jordan Cove), requesting long-term, multi-contract authorization to export as liquefied natural gas (LNG) both natural gas produced domestically in the United States and natural gas produced in Canada and imported into the United States, in an amount up to the equivalent of 292 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per year, 0.8 Bcf per day (Bcf/d), over a 25-year period, commencing on the earlier of the date of first export or seven years from the date the requested authorization is granted. The LNG would be exported from the proposed LNG terminal to be located on the North Spit of Coos Bay in Coos County, Oregon, to any country (1) with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement (FTA) requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, (2) which has developed or in the future develops the capacity to import LNG via ocean-going carrier, and (3) with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy. Jordan Cove is requesting this authorization to export LNG both on its own behalf and as agent for other parties who hold title to the LNG at the point of export. The Application was filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Citizens Against LNG is a grassroots organization of citizens that formed during the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Prefiling phase of the Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P. and the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, L.P., LNG Import project. We represent over 4,000 citizens in Southern Oregon who live, work, have businesses, recreate and socialize in areas that would be negatively impacted by the Jordan Cove LNG terminal, storage tanks, liquefaction facility and the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline. Citizens Against LNG, and the citizens who support our cause, declare that a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal, storage tanks and liquefaction facility is not a well conceived or appropriate industry for the Southern Oregon Coast and that LNG represents an unacceptable risk to the people of the State of Oregon. For the safety, security, and well being of the citizens of our communities, the Citizens Against LNG ask the U. S. Department of Energy to immediately take action to stop the Jordan Cove LNG Export terminal, storage tanks and liquefaction facility proposed for the North Spit of Coos Bay and the 230 mile, 36 inch Pacific Connector natural gas pipeline to the California border.